Today's Obsession: Brooklyn Space Program

In August of this year, Luke Geissbuhler treated his boys to a homemade experiment to see what the world looks like from outer space. The experiment is a large balloon, an HD camera, an iPhone for GPS location upon re-entry, some foam for protection, handwarmers to keep the electronics from locking up as the temperatures drop in the upper layers of the atmosphere, and a parachute to hopefully get the thing safely back to the surface of the planet.

Watch the video for the full experience of how this all went down, and here’s their own site. There are more missions planned!
So, a couple observations:

Awesomest dad ever.

It is actually possible for a typical citizen to send something to the edges of our atmosphere, if not further.

From watching this, I get the impression the only reasons they didn’t send something into orbit were legal and technological technicalities. Geissbuhler clearly has done some homework. That’s pretty mind-blowing, to realize that with a single visit to Best Buy and some ingenuity … You’re a mini-NASA.

If you read the comments on the video, Mr. Geissbuhler clearly understands the ramifications of what he’s done, and how to do it responsibly. Interesting stuff!